72 Hours
by Liv-x-Case-Benson
Summary: Chris knows Paige's past and aims to help relieve some regret, but little does she know it's going to hit closer than she's ever wanted. Enter "Young Paige" the disrespectful, druggie, alcohol lover in serious need of a reality-check. Can Paige help her?
1. Breaking the Rules

72 Hours

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

**Chapter 1: Breaking the Rules**

She looked down at the cars zooming by as a gentle breeze swirled her auburn hair about her face as she paced. So many years had passed since the actual event had occurred, but only _two_ had gone by since she'd been forced to live through it again.

Sighing, Paige walked to the point she had formed there and sat, swinging her legs over the edge. She jumped, upon hearing a noise. It was just barely enough to startle her, yet not nearly enough to make her fall.

Groaning, she rubbed her temples. "I want to be left alone, Chris. Go home."

He walked over to stand beside her. "I-I know, but I was looking for you." He told her as he sat beside her. "You looked upset this morning. I wondered if there was anything I could do to help."

"No!" she snapped. "Go home!"

Sighing, he rested his hand on her shoulder. "Aunt Paige, I know how you feel, but—"

"NO! No you don't know how I fucking _feel_, Chris! Leave me the hell alone!" she yelled Orbing away.

She Orbed to the park where she and her parents used to picnic when she was a child. It was late at night so she didn't have to worry about being spotted. She walked over and climbed up the steps of the slide and just sat there. Upon looking down at the damp grass her tears started to flow.

"Why?" she asked as her tears flowed. "Why did I have to survive _twice_? I could've stopped it!" she yelled, banging her hand on the hard metal which resounded with a loud _clang_. "Why didn't somebody let me!" With that, she stood up, her shoes were damp and she slid down, taking a flying stance, jumping off the end.

Satisfied, she sat on the swings, swinging as high as she could, closing her eyes…

* * *

><p><em>The sun was shining on her face as if her smile called it forth. "Higher Daddy, higher!" she laughed, her hair being blown around.<em>

"_Alright, hang on tight!" he laughed pushing her hard to go high._

"_Look Mommy, look!"_

_Her mother smiled walking over. "Lunch is almost ready Paige. You can swing later."_

_She nodded, letting her feet drag on the ground until she stopped. She stood up, grabbing their hands, and walked over to lunch._

* * *

><p>"Paige?" Chris said, sitting in the next swing.<p>

Her feet drug, eventually slowing her to a stop. She sighed. "Are you ever going to get the hint, Chris? I. Want. To. Be. Left. Alone!"

"I know why, but I also think I have a plan to change it."

She wiped her eyes. "What do you know about me, Chris? You know I'm your long-lost aunt and the only reason I'm even that is of an affair from which she was forced to give me up."

Chris looked ahead to the deserted equipment. "The only reason you even know about that is because Aunt Prue died and they needed your help."

"To complete the Power of Three, I know. Why are you telling me this?"

He sighed. "Actually, I did know all of that. In my time—before everything went haywire—Aunt Phoebe told me everything about you. She understood how hurt you still were after all these years by what happened. And so do I."

She looked at him, stunned. "I-I never told you any of that?"

He shook his head. "You weren't as level-headed as you are here. You always blamed magic for causing the accident and never truly embraced being a witch."

"What makes you think I'm different now?"

He shrugged. "You're actually happy being a witch is one of the main things and you love them enough to do what you have to without being asked."

"So in your future we're not close?"

He sighed. "You and Phoebe we-were closer than close, but—"

"My relationship with Piper was never good?"

"Like fire and ice. She thought you were trying to take Prue's place, which you _clearly_ weren't. But it didn't help the fact that you never really opened up to them about the accident."

She looked down at her hands in her lap. "Well, it's not exactly the easiest thing to talk about," she responded softly. "I can't believe I blamed magic for that. I-I survived for a reason, but—"

"—but it doesn't change the fact that you wish you could change it," he finished, wrapping his hand around hers. "But I think I've found a way to change it."

She scoffed. "It's a nice thought kid, really, but it's not possible."

"What makes you so sure? You'll still be you. We're not going to change _your_ past, per say. This is impossible."

"Then what are we doing?"

He hesitated. This information he truly did know by accident and there would be no 'future consequences' attached. "Before I tell you though, you can't tell anyone. Not Piper. Not Phoebe. Not Leo. No one. Essentially what we're doing has nothing to do with them. If they know, this won't work."

She sighed. "All right."

"As you know by now, there are multiple timelines. You guys are here and healthy in this one while you aren't in mine." She nodded in interest. "In the timeline we're going to your bad habits as a teen are multiplied by 100. I know you skipped so many classes you were lucky you had passing grades, that your boyfriends were general cool jerks because you thought that was how your life was supposed to be…"

She held her hand up. "Okay, okay, I remember. You don't need to remind me," she answered with a tinge of pain. "I was a disrespectful brat with no attention to authority," she bit her lip, "or my parents for that matter. Drugs were a normal part of my 'good times' with my boyfriends. Not to mention drinking…"

He nodded, silently listening. He wasn't _completely_ shocked, but the fact she's used drugs was a new piece of information.

She looked over at him, partly wishing she hadn't revealed so much.

He sighed. "So do you want to know where we're going exactly?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "Sure, what do we have to do?"

"Your 'alter-self' is much more reckless as I've mentioned."

"Yes, yes, we've already established that," she said in annoyance. "What about saving my parents?"

"Well, I never actually said—" he started before he found himself on the cold, wet ground.

"YOU SAID IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT!"she yelled.

He stood up and she grabbed him by the shirt color. "It will be different, but that was always meant to happen. If it didn't, where would I be?" With those words, she threw him to the ground before dropping beside him and punching the ground. Chris saw so much pain and anger in her eyes before that he hated to look into them again – much less give her another chance to kick his ass for lying to her.

Slowly, he sat up. "I'm sorry, but look at it as another chance to tell them how much you care."

"I've already told them."

"But did you tell them because you wanted to or because you owed it to them? The Paige we're going to meet isn't even 1/3rd as decent as you were. Maybe you can help her."

"How? Won't the 'future consequences' come into play?"

"Paige, what bad could come of this? You'll help her realize how much she loves them. She can know who you are."

"But they can't."

Chris rested a hand on her shoulder. "Tell them anyway. She needs your help. She hides a painful secret, even before the accident. And you know yourself back then. You barely told your parents anything. Even if you can't save them, isn't it worth it to save her?"

She blinked. "Save her? What exactly does she need to be saved from, Chris?"

Again, he hesitated. _But wait, didn't she used to be a social worker? Still though…_

"Chris!" she said, shaking him. "Tell me!"

"She has too much ridicule from classmates, pressure from teachers and her parents to be a good student. She's rebellious though, like you were. But reckless behavior isn't enough, Paige. She wants out. Claims no one understands her."

"She's a…a…"

Chris nodded. "And she needs your help."

"Are you going to be there too?"

"For guidance reasons, but nothing more. I can't be seen around anyone but you."

She nodded. "So how do we get there?"

Chris dug into his pocket and pulled out a vial with red liquid. Then he threw it on the ground. A swirling portal opened up.

"But there's a catch."

"There always is."

"We only have a week."

"A week? Why?"

"Three days before, three days after and the day it happens."

Paige thought a moment. "So 72 hours between?"

He nodded. "Come on." He grabbed her hand and they entered the portal with Paige desperately hoping that some way she could save her younger self before it was too late…

. . .

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Hey, this is my newest story. It'll probably be one of my 'write/update when I can' ones. I'm working on "Heaven's Mistaken Gift" a lot. That's become my main story, so if you read this, please don't bombard be with reviews that say "Please update soon!" I'll update it as quickly as I can. Like I said, others are priority. I just hate having a fully good, completed chapter sitting around not being posted. It drives me nuts!

Anyway, please read and review to tell me what you think!

**Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell**


	2. By Grace of…Me?

72 Hours

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

**Chapter 2: By Grace of…Me?**

Paige thought they would be falling forever. Walking through the portal was just for show because once they entered they were sucked into a vortex. But within minutes, the two hit the cold ground. Rubbing her sore head, she stood.

"We're in the same park," she remarked. The wind felt cold as she zipped up her jacket, seeing Chris stand beside her.

"Well, then this place must have a special meaning to you," he replied.

"What?"

"The potion that opened up the portal was — in a way — connected to you. We wouldn't have landed here if it wasn't a very important piece of some memory—"

"Memories," she corrected. "My parents took me here every weekend in good weather until sometime when I was thirteen," She sighed sadly. It was so dark out that objects were barely visible, but somehow Paige knew exactly where everything was. She walked forward until she came to a grandfather oak tree, turning and leaning against it.

Chris walked over and stood beside her. "So…why did you guys stop coming here? I'm mean, I'm no kid and I'd have fun here."

She took a breath. Half of her face was illuminated by a street lamp a little ways off, but it wasn't so far off that Chris missed the couple tears that flowed. She took another steady breath before answering. "That wasn't the reason. About a month after I turned thirteen, I had to get braces and they made me feel like such an outcast."

"But you had friends before that, right?"

She shook her head. "No, and my grades had always been just above failing. Except for Art. I was an artistic kid, plus the teacher really liked me. Anyway, after that everybody seemed to notice me, but not like I wanted them to…"

"Whoa, wait!" Chris said. "So all of your rebellion began after that? Come on, braces caused _everything_?"

She laughed slightly. "No, but people never noticed me until then. I-I wanted people to think of me in a different way."

He sighed. "Stereotypes are overrated. Braces don't make you a geek. It's just something to help you."

"They didn't say that," she laughed. "But I know what you mean, thanks, Chris. So…now what?"

"Well, now I guess we need to find them. You know this area a lot better than me, so you lead."

She nodded. They were about to walk off, when she heard a noise. It was small though, so she figured it was just a squirrel.

A second later, something like a crash resounded from the bushes along with an, "Ouch!"

She spun around. "Who's there?" Paige called, but there was no answer. "That's…"

"Odd," Chris finished. "Since when can animals speak like humans?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "They can't," she whispered, pressing a finger to her lips as she walked over to the bushes without a single sound. She figured either her witch or her Whiteligher powers gave her a heightened sense of sight in darkness because once she got close enough she saw long dark hair. Knowing she would run, Paige pulled her back into the open.

"Hey! Hey! What the hell are you doing?" the girl shouted. "He—" she tried to call out, but Paige covered her mouth.

"Shhh, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," Paige answered as she turned the girl around to face her.

She pushed her dark hair behind her ear, straightening out her _"Metallica"_ t-shirt underneath her jacket. "And why the _fuck _should I trust you!"

_Wow, _Paige thought, _she really is testy. Worse than I was. _"Because I know deep down you're a good kid. You just hate that metal on your face."

She gasped in shock. "H-How can you see me? It's so dark out here."

She just shrugged. "I just have really good eyesight."

"Oh."

"And I had them when I was a kid. Not to mention way overly-protective parents. The teachers were always out to get me because of the way I looked. I wasn't necessarily a bad kid though." She looked at her younger counterpart who was nodding at everything she said. "Did I hit a couple nerves?"

"Humph! Think a sob story can get you close to me? Forget it! You don't know anything about me!" she said turning away.

Paige sighed. "Alright then. Tell me about you." It'd been quite a while since she'd had a job which entailed this, but she knew she could handle it. Besides, it wasn't like she was a Social Worker here. If she was the details of this conversation couldn't be kept between them. And, this time, it had to be.

She couldn't explain a lot about her life now, but she remembered this part of her life like her own name. Like a piece of prose that was forever written on paper in permanent marker and kept hidden from even her sisters. Yes, they knew about the accident, but only the bare minimum.

The girl sighed. "Why in the world would you take an interest in little ol' me?" she said with biting sarcasm.

"Because you've got no one else to talk to. Because you think your parents' rules are the biggest bitch you've ever encountered, so, you know, naturally, you never tell them anything."

She narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?"

She shrugged. "You're a teenager and what teenager ever tells their parents the full truth?"

She kicked at the ground. "Did your _Mommy _tell you that?"

She took a deep breath. _Here comes the truth_. "Actually, I never knew my parents. Not my real parents anyway. I was adopted when I was very young, so naturally my adopted parents were all I knew."

"Wait. If that was all you ever knew then how did you know you were adopted?"

"It's…a long, complicated story. I know how hard it is, to be an outcast. Let me help you." Paige said, extending her hand to her.

She crossed her arms. "How do I know you won't tell them what I tell you?"

"That's just it, you don't. All you have is my word."

The girl looked at her from her auburn hair down to her weird-looking sneakers and everything in between. She didn't know what it was, but something about her seemed familiar. Something close. Like a long-lost relative or something. And in her brown eyes she saw something that was close to fear, but fear of what she didn't know. Reluctantly, she shook her hand. "I'm Paige Matthews," she answered. "And my life is hell."

Paige put her hand over her mouth to try to hold back a laugh, but it didn't work.

"What?" Young Paige asked. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, you just sound so much like me when I was that age."

"Oh. Is that a good thing?"

She nodded. "But what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

"My parents. They grounded me," Young Paige said. She shivered though her heavy jacket, "so I locked my door and snuck out the window to a party."

Paige nodded. _God, I wish I didn't remember this. _"What kind of party was it?"

The young girl shrugged. "Just a typical party…" she couldn't keep from shivering and Paige noticed it.

"Paige, it's late. I think you should go home."

She shot her a dirty look. "What are you, my mother? I'll leave when I damn well please!"

Paige sighed, walking over and sitting on the sidewalk. "No, I'm not, but you're shivering. I think you need something hot to eat."

She shook her head, muttering, "That's not why I'm shivering," under her breath.

_I know and I wish I didn't. _"You seem jumpy. Anything I can do?" she asked in trying to keep with her completely oblivious act, but it was hard. She didn't use for a long time before someone found out and then...then it was away for three years, _three_, to come clean.

She earned her G.E.D. and got into college. Yet, she knew her younger self was in much worse trouble and, without saying who she was, trying to help would be the toughest task.

She knew, depending on how much was taken, it wouldn't show right away.

Young Paige stood, but immediately held her head. "I-I don't know. I'm so dizzy and…why am I here, again?" she asked tiredly as her body began to twitch.

Paige stood up and grab hold of her. "What else is wrong?" she whispered softly.

She shook her head. "I need to…get rid of my…"

Paige sat down with her. "Okay, okay. I-I got it. Sit up." She said as she sat in front of her and unzipped her jacket and taking it off of her. "Damn, you're arms are covered in hives. Sweetie, I've got to get you home."

Young Paige rested her head on her shoulder. "No!" she said, trying to catch her breath.

Paige threw the girl's jacket over her shoulder. "Yes, but your parents aren't going to like it," she answered in pain. Track marks littered her upper arms. It wasn't hard to tell what she'd been doing at that party.

Young Paige lifted her head. "Please," she cried. "Please don't take me home. Not like this! My parents will kill me! It-it was just one party." She looked her in the eyes.

Paige sighed. She knew she needed medical attention and her parents, but this wasn't some innocent kid on the street. This was _her_. If she remembered correctly, she hadn't been caught until it was almost too late. Against everything, she picked the girl up. "Where else should we go?"

She needed to go back, but she couldn't bring her back to the house looking like this. It would destroy her parents, not to mention land her in jail and eat up too much time.

Looking down, she saw her younger self was out cold. "It's okay. I know where to go. Chris!"

He formed right beside her. "Aren't you going to take her home?"

"I can't, Chris, not like this." She dug in her pocket for cash and handed it to him. "Here."

"Paige! We should be taking her home…or to the hospital, not kidnapping her and feeding her!" he argued.

She rolled her eyes. "That isn't for food, you idiot. I want you to go to the store and get the biggest First-Aid kit and as much Cover-up and white toothpaste as you can buy."

"Wha—"

"I can't fix the problem. I know that, but I can help her and cover up the first occurrence."

He sighed. "Covering up the first time won't make the next ones any better."

"I know that, but if she knows someone cares enough to help her, maybe she can make the right choice."

He let out a breath. "But you are going to take her home?"

She nodded. "After she looks better, yes, but right now, I think it's best if she doesn't go home. And yes, I know Piper would kill me for saying that, but Chris…she's not some random innocent."

Again, he sighed. "I know. All right I'll go. Where will you be?"

"Just sense me," she answered, Orbing away . . .

. . .

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> So what do you think?

_Reveiw thanks to: Dominus Trinus & That70sshowlova_

_**Special thanks to That70sshowlova for being my Beta!**_

Please read and review to tell me what you think!

**Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell**


	3. Barriers of Past and Present

72 Hours

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

**Chapter 3: Barriers of Past and Present**

She Orbed in front of an abandoned house on the rougher side of town. She knew that both of them couldn't have her powers at once, but they wouldn't be "activated" until the accident, so for now she had the active power.

She remembered it from when she was about the girl's age from a couple parties. It had been empty for a few years because everyone was afraid that if someone occupied it, sooner or later it would be raided.

But if she remembered correctly, on the outside it was a peaceful, quaint little house during the day. And if her date was correct on her digital watch she pulled from her pocket, all the kids that were usually here were sitting in jail and wouldn't be released for a few days. They'd been there for a month or so at least. Possession for them wasn't anything big.

Paige suspected the party her younger counterpart referred to earlier had been hosted by the guy who never landed in jail. He had the absolute highest tolerance of anyone she'd ever known. Plus, he always managed to plant his 'findings'_—yeah, findings, he just _bought_ it off the street—_on the person beside him. Man, woman, girlfriend or best friend, nothing mattered as long as he was never caught.

The house wasn't a lab. No one in that crowd was smart enough_—or maybe stupid enough is the right word—_to do that in a neighborhood where the cops took nightly patrols. Sighing, she readjusted the girl in her arms and opened the door. The entire house smelled of thick musk and was slightly overwhelming. Turning around, she kicked the old door closed and walked over to lay her on the couch.

After doing so, she stood up and had a look around. The paint on the walls was peeling and there were numerous holes in the sheetrock from fights that broke out on a normal basis from people hiding stashes for themselves. Not saying it was ever healthy to share a needle. The lamps had no bulbs in them, but always hid a little extra for a pick-me-up, _that _she remembered. The wooden coffee table had chips and burns and was the main object people gathered around.

Sighing, she decided she had had enough time to reminisce so she stood up and walked into the kitchen for a cold cloth. Looking under the sink, she found a cloth that was probably the cleanest in the entire house, sans a few questionable stains, and wet it. She then walked back to the young girl who was moaning in pain and shivering.

She pushed the coffee table back a few feet and sat on it, gingerly patting the girl's sweating forehead.

"Mom," she said. "Mom, I'm sorry!"

Paige stopped momentarily, feeling her chest tighten a bit at the words. Never in her life had she told her parents she was sorry for what she'd done _because, _she choked, _by the time I realized how sorry I really was_, _it was too late_. And though she knew now that they knew, she still wished she had told them while she'd had the chance.

Her younger counterpart was shaking now, so she laid the cloth on her forehead and walked behind the couch and Orbed upstairs. Not much in this house was "sanitarily clean" but she knew where the good stuff was. She'd put it there herself and was almost certain her younger counterpart had as well. She was also certain that this house was where she wanted to go.

She quickly searched the closets in the two bedrooms and found what she was looking for. She didn't trust anything on the actual beds, so she took the smaller blanket to fold into a makeshift pillow and walked back downstairs.

As she reached the first floor, Paige saw Chris Orb in. She pressed a finger to her lips and walked into the kitchen with him following. Sighing she leaned against the wall, seeing how rusty the metallic sink was.

"So," he began in a somewhat quiet tone, "how bad is she?"

She sighed again, wiping tiredness from her eyes. "She has shivers, dizziness, confusion, shortness of breath, hives, a bit of shakiness and barely visible track marks," she answered, "and a fever, which is probably from her body trying to fight off the intruder."

"So, by your prognosis, was she telling the truth or had she done it before tonight?" Chris asked. He knew this would be harder, much harder, on her than him. She had no real medical background other than the classes he supposed she took to become a Social Worker, but even he wasn't sure what they were or how much she knew.

Paige bit her lip in thought. "I think she was telling the truth. She would be more nervous, jumpy and concerned about being helped if she wasn't. Still though, other than the track marks, if she absolutely had to, she could pass it off as a bout of flu."

For a moment, all she could hear was the crinkling of the plastic bag Chris had brought back with him as it swung to and fro in his hand. "What are you going to do?"

She placed her hand—as the other held blankets to her chest—on her hip in a motherly fashion before she berated. "_I'm _supposed to know? You're the one who suggested we come back to this damn time in the first place! You're supposed to guide _me_ here!"

He held his hands up in defense and took a needed step backward. "I know that, but you've dealt with this kinda stuff before—"

"—and its in my blood. Since that accident, I vowed to clean myself up and help others so that they wouldn't go through the exact same pain! You think it was easy, Chris! Seeing kids begging to stay with their neglectful, hateful, drug addicted parents who thought they were just there as a mistake and used as a punching bag 'cause hell, kids are smaller than adults and more manipulative! And drunks were so much worse…" finally, she was able to stop her rant and take a shaky breath before sliding down the wall in tears.

"I didn't," he answered quietly, "but you know more about this stuff than I do. You know how to help her."

She let out a shaky laugh and wiped her eyes. "And how—pray tell—am I supposed to do that when she doesn't want to go home or to the hospital where she belongs?"

"Is…she afraid of going to jail?"

"She's afraid of upsetting her parents because she sneaked out and, I'm guessing, because she doesn't want them to see her in this bad of shape."

The young Witchlighter set the bag on the floor and rested on his knees. "But then, isn't the best thing for her to go home? Her parents won't care as long as she's okay."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Not when you're expected to be _perfect _at everything you do."

"Every parent wants their child to be happy. I'm sure that's all her parents want."

She rolled her eyes again.

"Somehow, you've got to get her to talk to you and say what's really behind this."

"I already know, Chris!" she fumed standing up. "It's her parents, it's the teachers, other classmates, peer pressure…"

"It's got to be more than that, Aunt Paige…"

A gasp made them turn their heads toward the young girl who had woken up. "D-did you just call her Aunt Paige?"

. . .

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> [Cue dramatic music... no? Well, damn! I can hear it!] Something's not right in the mind of a Young Paige Matthews. How on earth are they going to explain this? Anyone have any guesses?

(-(P.S. I haven't even started writing the next chapter to "Heaven's Mistaken Gift" yet. I guess I'm just excited about this story, but I will work on it very soon. Promise!)-)

_Reveiw thanks to: Dominus Trinus & That70sshowlova_

_**Special thanks to That70sshowlova for being my Beta!**_

Please read and review to tell me what you think!

**Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell**


	4. I Can't Lie to…Me?

72 Hours

By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell

**Chapter 4: I Can't Lie to…Me?**

Paige and Chris looked at each other, stunned. They had no idea she was even conscious. But that was a good thing.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked. Keeping secrets was second-nature to him, even under these circumstances.

The young girl walked in and leaned against the doorframe. "Who are you?"

Paige looked to her, her mouth open in shock. "I uh, I'm…your guardian angel?" she asked, but even as she said it she wished Chris would slap her. _Who the hell would believe that?_

Young Paige laughed. "G-guardian angel? Yeah, right! Where are your wings? Do they sprout from your back or something?" she asked, dripping with sarcasm.

Paige rolled her eyes. "I have no wings or halo, but…" she orbed across the room, causing her younger counterpart to fall to the ground.

"W-whoa! _What _the hell are you?"

Paige walked over and helped her back to her feet. "Just a much-needed friend."

"Y-you're not gonna kill me or anything?"

"Kill you?" she asked with a grin. "Oh, no, no, no. You've got it wrong. I'm a good angel. I'm here to help you."

Young Paige nodded. "How did you know so much about me in the park when I said so little?" she asked crossing her arms.

She sighed, sitting at the table, gesturing for her to follow. "You won't believe me."

Her younger counterpart sighed. "Try me. You're actually like the first person to give a damn about me, the _real _me, not the perfect child my parents claim that I am."

Chris coughed in a not-so-discreet manner. "Paige."

"What?" They both asked at once.

"Let me rephrase that, _Aunt _Paige."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Are you sure you want to do this? Think about it, if you were in her position right now."

She _did_ think. "She's not going to listen to me if I don't tell her the truth."

"_She _is right here and _her _patience is wearing thin," Younger Paige reminded hotly.

The elder Paige nodded once and motioned for her younger counterpart to sit.

"Well, let's not beat around the bush here," Paige said. She thought for another moment, _did _she go slowly, or rip it off like a band-aid?

She decided with the less 'painful' form. "You're a witch with bound powers and I'm you from the future and a different time line. I'm from a time-line where I wasn't, um...as _troubled _as you. You're from Chris's time-line. He brought me back so I could help you."

Younger Paige sputtered out a laugh, but then controlled her face and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. "So, you're...me, but me from a different future entirely and that kid over there is your nephew?"

She nodded.

"So, I'm like Superman just my powers aren't active?"

Chris cut in."No, you're twisting it around to sound ridiculous. You're a _witch_. Not a fucking comic book character."

"Oh, because stirring a cauldron while chanting 'Double, double toil and trouble' is _so _much better?"

"This was a bad idea." Older Paige groaned. "Why didn't you stop me?"

Chris narrowed his eyes. "I tried. And don't give up now. Try harder."

Younger Paige stared at them both. "I wonder what the fuck you guys are shooting in _your _blood stream to actually think this shit is real."

Older Paige was getting a tad bit desperate. "Didn't you see me Orb earlier? That was magic. Your magic that you'll have soon, just not now."

"That was probably just the drugs messing with my eyes. I mean, c'mon. _Time travel_, you being me _and _a witch, that's crazy. No, worse than crazy, fucking demented. You guys sound like you should be locked in a padded cell with white jackets."

Chris had enough, and he Orbed behind his younger aunt and Orbed her across the room. Paige yelped as she fell to the floor and Chris couldn't hide his smirk.

"Believe us yet?"

"Trippy," Paige muttered.

"Don't traumatize her." Older Paige admonished, yet she couldn't hide her smile as she heard her younger counterpart utter, "So, witches, huh?"

Chris Orbed back over so he could slump down in his chair. "Finally."

Younger Paige walked back over and hesitantly sat down in her own chair. "So, what did you mean that I'm from Chris's time-line?"

"I'm from your future." Chris chimed in. "I went back in time to fix something."

"I was, um, really upset, and Chris as my, erm, Guardian Angel, decided to help me. He thought it would be a good lesson for me to help myself, a different self, so it didn't disrupt _my _time-line."

She nodded slowly. "Okay, so, what were you so upset about?"

"Nothing that affects you."

She got the hint. "So, if I'm a witch, why are my powers bound?"

"Because you were put up for adoption. You couldn't have your powers around mortals."

"Can you give them back to me?"

"No."She said. "You have to earn them, sort of. I don't want to explain it to you."

Younger Paige pouted. "Fine. Wait, he's your nephew? I don't have any siblings. Unless...does Mom...?" She grimaced a bit at the thought.

Older Paige did too. "No, no. I find my birth family. Chris is my sister Piper's son."

Younger Paige's eyes lit. "You found them? What are they like? Who else is there? What does Piper look like? Does she look like a _more _feminine version of Chris?"

Older Paige snickered. "Actually, I would say Piper is a more masculine version of Chris."

"Hey!" Chris exclaimed and then scowled. "Even in the past I'm still the butt of your jokes."

"Always." They both chimed.

"Anyway, my family?" Younger Paige urged.

"Well, there's Piper, who's my older sister and then Phoebe, who's also my older sister. There's Prue, too, but she passed away...Piper has a temper, she can be very intimidating when she wants to be and her power to make things combust doesn't help her case."

Chris snorted.

"But Piper's very protective of her family. Phoebe's a sweetheart. She's very intuitive, but that could just be because she reads emotions."

"And Prue?"

Paige frowned. "I've never actually met her. But I hear she was like a super-witch. Juggling job, boyfriend, and her magical duties perfectly."

"Who else is there?"

"There's Grams, but she's dead. Whenever she drops by she usually only stays to say something sarcastic."

"Wait, she's dead, but she still drops by? Is she like a zombie or something?" Paige questioned.

"Ha, no, but she's sort of scary like one. We summon her from the afterlife, or she just drops by on her own...to you know, tell Chris he's not as good as our old Guardian Angel or something of the like."

"Who was your old Guardian Angel?"

"Oh, his name was Leo. He's Piper's ex-husband. She kind of broke up with him when he got a...um...promotion? To a higher up Guardian Angel called an Elder. Piper hates Elders. So she kind of broke up with him."

"Leo's an asshole." Chris muttered.

Older Paige rolled her eyes. "Chris has daddy issues."

"Lastly, there's Wyatt, Piper's other son and Chris's older brother. Cutie, he is. He's a perfect little angel, but not in your future."

"He's a vindictive ass." Chris explained. "He turned evil, so I came back to save him. He kind of takes over America and a couple other countries. Wonderful, isn't he?"

Younger Paige couldn't even comprehend that at the moment. "So, why do we have powers?"

"We have powers to protect the world from evil called demons. They try to kill people we labeled as innocents. Whether they be fellow witches or defenseless humans. We kill demons because it's our duty."

"Save the world one week at a time." Chris said with an eye roll.

"Why did my parents give me up?"

Paige smiled sadly. "Because you're part Angel, and witches and their Guardian Angels aren't supposed to be together let alone have a kid. They were afraid the Elders would try to hurt us."

"That's stupid. Why didn't she just use her witch powers to kick their fucking asses?"

Paige let out a little laugh. "Elders are more powerful than us. If she had tried to kick their asses, they would probably have electrocuted her to death."

"That sucks. Why couldn't you have gone back in time to prevent her from giving us up?"

She sent Chris a look just as he opened his mouth. "It would change too much." she explained. For Chris she added in, "Dire consequences that could warp the future to where evolution never happened and we'd all just be monkeys, picking fleas out of each other's fur and flinging shit around."

Chris rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Finally, back to my Charmed fics! It's been quite a while and I'm sorry about that. I'm still very focused on Law & Order:SVU, but I'll update when inspiration strikes, like now. Guys, I really am sorry!

Other than this, I've been writing L&O. I'll try to update "Heven's Mistaken Gift" too sometime.

_Reveiw thanks to:That70sshowlova_

_**Special thanks to That70sshowlova for being my Beta!**_

Please read and review to tell me what you think!

**Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell**


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